Madame Curie: A Biography

Madame Curie is a touching and honest biography. It tells the perserving story of Marie Curie, a native Pole who would seem out of place in France and--being a woman in a more prejudice timeframe--in the scientific community in general. Although this was the case, it did not stop her from becoming one of the most prolific and important scientists in the realm of physics and chemistry.Within this book is held the tale of a woman who worked almost every single minute of her life in either the laboratory, the classroom, or her own home. But she never faltered under pressure and endured inhospitable laboratory conditions (she was originally working in a shed to help discover radium, the element that created the field of radiation cancer treatment and spurred the field of nuclear science.As a biographer, Eve Curie remains factual in content, allowing the reader to form an unbiased opinion of her mother. She buttresses the book with personally letters to and from Marie Curie, which add a first hand account of certain aspects of her mother's life.A must read for anyone looking for a heartwarming story.

The book is a reprint of the biography written by Marie Curie's daughter, Eve Curie in 1937. It is a book which should be read by all - especially aspiring scientists. Marie Curie was the first woman to receive a Ph.D. in France, the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize and the first person to receive two Nobel prizes. The work she accomplished under the most difficult situations for a scientist is truly inspiring. When asked why she and her husband, Pierre Curie did not patent the procedure for extraction and purification of radium, something which would have made them very wealthy, she said "No, It would be contrary to the scientific spirit." How refreshing, since in today's world the first thought of scientists is patenting their discoveries.

This book brought forth to me the human side of a great scientist. As a daughter, wife, mother and not the least as a patriotic citizen of a country that was being wiped out due to tyranny. I cried every time I read the book. Especially twice -- when Pierre Curie dies and when Madame Curie addresses the gathering of students. A book I cannot forget.

Excellent work by a woman writer who is also the daughter of Madam Curie. I would recommend this book to all young women. It is an excellent account of a great woman who made a mark on history when (supposedly) women had little freedom or power. Miss Curie (the writer) exhibits a great deal of love and devotion to her mother, yet remains objective.